Traction-engine.



B. HOLT! TRACTION ENGINE.

1 APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24', 1909.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910 a'aEEETxHLKEET 1. x

Wirzeggeg- Patented Sept.20,1910.

2 GREENE-511E312.

B. HOLT.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIOAIION FILED AUG. 24, 1909.

. v 1 -m M Wax 7235535,-

a To all whom it may concern:

ENJ'AM IN HOLT, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Application filed August 34:, 1909. Serial at. 514,394.

Be it known that ,I, BENJAMIN Hour, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, inthe county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Traction Engines, of wh1ch the following is'a specification.

My invention relates to traction engines, and especially to that class in which the apparatus is carried upon and driven principally by an endless traveling belt or platform, running over drums located at. some distance apart, said platform being driven so that provides a bearing and traction means" topro'pcl the apparatus over the ground; l y present invention contemplates improvements in an apparatus of this charaeten', i a

It consists in the combination of parts, and'in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of my, apparatus, in partial section. Fig. 2 is' a side 'elevation, in partial section. I

In apparatus of this character as hitherto constructed, a rectangular frame-work is employed to carry the engines and machinery, and on which frame the various shafts are journaled, and to one side of which the traction belt or platform is 1ocated; the engine being located approximately upon the opposite side; This distribution of weight upon the frame, and

the irregularities of ground over'which the apparatus must travel, causes an. unavoidsupported upon a single longitudinal beam,

' which practically constitutes the main frame having only 'suflicient side beams and extensions to properly balance the apparatus, while any turning movements caused by travel over irregular ground,'.are ,tr'anse In my apparatus, A is a beam made of.

a the shaft 6 is turnable.

heavy channel iron having sufficient depth of rib to be practically stiff and unbendable. If found desirable the vertical web of this beam may be reinforced by steel plates filling the space between the upper and lower flanges, and bolted or riveted to the web. A second beam 2 is carried parallel with the beam A and connected by suitable brace beams, as at 3, and also by beams 4 which are united in triangular form. The outer ends of the beams 4 are strongly riveted or secured to the beam 2, and also to the beam A. These beams 4 converge to a point a considerable distance to'the left of the beam A, and uniting at this point they form a bearing for the box 5, in which I Upon the ,outer end of this'shaft is a bearing-wheel 7 which may be driven by power'applied directly to it, or may be allowed to run idly when the machine is' traveling. r

Upon the opposite side of the beam A, and closely contiguous to it, is mounted an endless traveling belt or platform 8, which is designed to carry the greater portion of the weight of the apparatus, and through which power is transmitted to drive it. The drums or sprockets 9 about which this belt passes aremounted'upon shafts 10-40 which are journaled upon the main beam A, and-the parallel supplemental beam 2; The osition ofthis'bearing and traction lat ormis such that the principalportion of theweight ofthe machine transmitted through'the smgle.beam A, is carried upon this platform;

the outer wheel 7 having sufliclent weight the bearing shafts run very truly in their 7 boxes, and with the least possible'friction.

Power is transmitted to repel the endless traveling platform 8 by means of a sprocket-wheel 11 fixed upon the shaft 10 of the rear drum of the endless platform 8, and a'driving-chain 12 passes around this sprocket, and around the sprocket 13 mounted upon the shaft 14 which is journaled across the rear portion of the frame A and 2. Power is transmitted to this shaft by means o'f'abevel-gear 15, and a pinion 16 which is adapted to mesh with the gear 15 for the purpose of driving the apparatus in one di rection, as forward, and said pinion may be shifted to disengage it from'the. gear 15, and to en age it wlth a companion gear 15 Y which isa so mounted upon the shaft 1 1, and

at a sufiicient'distance from the gear so that the pinionilfi may be cleared from either gear, or may be moved as will be hereafter described to engage either. When engaged with the ear as 15, it may drive the machine ahea and when shifted to engage thegear 15 it will correspondingly reverse the motion and drive the machine to the-rear. This pinion 16 is mounted on a shaft 17 which is journaled longitudinally upon the main frame A, and its rear end is carried by a shifting box 18 which may be moved by means of a shift lever -19 so as to engage or disengage the pinion 16 as previously described. In order to admit of this motion, the front end of the shaft 17 may have a universal or cardan joint as at 19, one member of which is fixed to the shaft 17 and the other to a shaft 20, through which power is transmitted from the motor. This shaft .20 is-also journaled in suitable boxes on thebeam'A.

21 represents a motor of any suit-able description, as an internal combustion, or other desired form. This motor is also mounted upon the beam A, audits crank shaft carrles one member 22 of a friction clutch. The other member 23 of the clutch may bemov- I able upon a feather. on the shaft 17, or other suitable or well known means may be employed, and by means of a shifting lever and connections as at 24:, the engine may be engaged with or disengaged from. the transmission shaft 17.

In order to applypower to thesh'a ft 6,

and to drive the outer bearin -wheel 7 when desired, Ihave shown a sproc et 25 mounted upon the shaft 14:, and by means ofthe chain 26, power is transmitted to a sprocket 27 upon the shaft 6; thus power transmitted to drive the shaft 14: in either direction may,

like manner, be transmitted to drive the wheel 7 which is fixed to the shaft 6.

28 is a friction clutch of any suitable description, such for instance as that pre-, viously described at 22-23, andby means of alever or equivalent connection, this clutch may be engaged or disengaged. When: en aged, and the apparatus is'moving in a orward direction, the power trans- 'mitted to 7 will assist in balancingthe mathe left. A suitable brake may be applied to tit/(5,563

While tang em movable through a guide upon the beam A. By meansof a chain 33, the ends of winch are secured to the yoke 32, or equivalent desired form of steering has its ends fixed to the axle 30, and it is point, and the bight of which passes around a drum 34, power may be transmitted tor turn the guide-wheels 29 in any desired di rection. The drum 34 may be mounted upon' a shaft extending vertically, and having a hand-wheel or other means through which it and the steering may be controlled.

I have found by actual construction that I am enabled to concentrate the weight of the apparatus upon the actual traction member to such an extent that the machine will have great power, and at the same time the weight and cost of construction are very much reduced, and it is made so narrow that it will travel and do efficient work over exceedingly narrow and eroded roads or trails. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent is a 1. The combination in a traction engine of a single longitudinally disposed frame beam, a supplemental parallel beam connected and carried thereby, an endless platform belt traction member located contiguous to and parallel with the main beam, a motor carried upon said main beam, and means transmitting power from the motor to the traction member, and a pivot-Wheel on the frame, opposite the traction member.

2. The combination in a traction engine, of a single main beam frame, a steering mechanism pivoted to the front end of said beam, a motor mounted upon the beam at the rear of the steering mechanism, a motor shaft journaled longitudinally upon said beam, .an endless traveling platform belt mounted contiguous to the beam, and mechanism through which power is transmitted from the/motor to the platform belt, and a bearing Wheel mounted on a triangular ex--- tension of the frame.

3;The combination in a traction engine, of a single main beam,-a steering mechanism connected with the front of said beam, a motor carried upon the beam at the rear of the steering mechanism, a transmission shaft journaled upon said beam, and a disengageable clutch connecting it with the engine shaft, an endless platform belt mounted contiguous to the main beam sprocketwheels, connecting chain an gearing through which power is transmitted from the drive shaft to the endless: traction memher, and means for reversing the motion thereof, and a bearing wheel mounted on a triangular extension of the frame.

4. The combination in a traction engine,

of a single main beam, a steering mechanism connected with the front end thereof, a motor mounted upon said beam, a trans mission shaft journaled longitudinally thereon at the rear of the motor, and a clutch mechanism connecting said shaft with the engine shaft, a shaft journaled across the rear of the main beam having .beveled' gear-wheels fixed thereto facing each other, a pinion carried by the transmission shaft, means which said pinion may be engaged with either, of the gears, an endless traveling traction member mounted parallel with and contiguous to the main beam, and

sprocket wheels and chains whereby motion may be transmitted from the gear shaft to drive said traction member, and a bearing wheel mounted on a triangular extension of the frame.

5. The combination in a traction engine, of a single main beam having a steering apparatus connected with the front, a motor mounted upon said beam, a transmission shaft journalcd longitudinally thereon, a clutch mechanism whereby the transmission shaft is disengageably connected with the engine shaft, an endless traction member mounted contiguous to the main beam, sprocl 'et-wheel and chains through which motion is transmitted to drive said member, a countershaft having beveled gears facing each other, and upon' which shaft one of 'said sprocket-wheels is mounted, a pinion fixed to the transmission shaft. :1 shift lever in which the rear end of the shaft is journaled, and a universal joint coupling at the front end of said shaft whereby the pinion may be moved to engage with either of the gears, and a bearing wheel mounted on a triangular extension of the frame,

6. The combination ina traction engine, of a single main beam, a steering apparatus, a motor, a transmission shaft and clutch I mechanism carried upon said beam, a snp l plemental beam parallel with the main beam, an A-traine crossing the main franuhaving its separated ends secured to the supplemental beam, at journal-box carried at the convergent n'ieeting ends of said frame, a shaft journalcd in said box and upon the main frame, a bearing-wheel upon the outer end of said shaft, an endless traction member mounted upon the-opposite side of the main frame, mechanism through which power is transmittml from the engine and driving shaft to propel said traction member, and supplemental mechanism through which power is transmitted to drive the bearing-wheel.

7. The combination in a traction engine, of a main bearing beam having a steering mechanism and motor located at the front, a supplemental parallel beam connected with the main beam, an A-frame having its separated ends bolted to the supplemental beam, and converging across the main beam, said A-frame carrying a journal-box, a shaft journaled in said box and upon the main frame, a bearing-wheel fixed to said shaft, an endless traction belt member mounted contiguous to the main frame, and between it and the supplemental frame, a counter shaft extending across the rcan of said frames, said counter-shaft haiving bevelgears fixed thereto facing each other, sprockets upon said countershaft and upon the shaft of the traction member, and a chain through which power may be transmitted thereto, a transmission shaft having a beveled gear upon its rear end, said shaft having a universal joint coupling and clutch connection with the engine shaft, and a shift lever by which the rear end may be moved to engage the pinion. with either of the gears, a sprocket and chain connection between the countershaft and the bearingwheel shaft, and a clutch mechanism by which power may be transmitted to or cut off from said bearing wheel shaft.

.In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presencedf two subscribing 

